Automatic elevator-door lock.



C. W. WHEELER.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR DOOR LOCKF APPLICATION FILED MAYZI. I915.

Patentd Apr. 16

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A TTORNE @NESSES C. W. WHEELER.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR DOOR LOCK.

APPLICATlON FILED-MAY 21, 1915.

1 262? 26., Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

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941m HI! 1 17 2312 5 5, I we 130): Kama M62 C. W. WHEELER.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR DOOR LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1915.

1 ,262,726. Patented Apr. '16, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Jhveni'or" c. w. WHEELER.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR DOOR LOCK.

APPLICA'HON FILED MAY 2|. 1915.

1,262,726. Patented Am: 16, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

T1001 Cbnirol zineues Jnvenifiw narrate sracrns PATENT CLARENCE W. WHEELER, F CHICAGQILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR-DOOR Loon.

Specification of Letters Patent. lPgttqen'tedl Apr. 16, 1918.

Application filed May 21, 1915. Serial No. 29,694.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. i-manna, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented'a new and useful Automatic Elevator-Door Look,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention rel-ates generally to looks for the hatchway doors or gates of elevators, but particularly tolocks for the doors or gates of automatic electric passenger elevators of the push-button-control type.

The objects of my invention are (1) to enable the operator, either from the hallway or as a passenger in the elevator car, by pushing a button, to select the door or gate which alone, of" the gates opening into the hatchway, shall be openable at the end of a given trip; (2) to render all gates unopenable from either within or without the car, except when the latter is at one of the landings, and then only the gate at that par- 7 ticular landing; (3) to render it impossible for the car to leave, or be moved away, from any landing, unless the gate or door at that landing is not only closed but also looked.

I attain these objects by a mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l'is a side elevation of the device as it appears from without when in a locked and quiescent state. Fig. 2 is a view from the same point, with the cam-lever and the near wall of the containing box removed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same as Fig. 1, but with the near wall of the box removed. Fig. 4c is a side elevation with the near wall of the box removed, but the cam-lever replaced, and showing the position of the parts after the magnet has been energized, but before the car has arrived at the landing where this particular lock is located. Fig. 5 is a view of the same after the car has arrived at the landing and come to a stop, but before the gate has been opened. Fig. 6 is a view of the cam-lever from the side next the box. Fig. 7 Sheet two, is a diagrammatic illustration of the relative positions of the locks, doors and switches, also of the car, the floor control and part of the wiring. Fig. 8, Sheet in diagram. The same reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views. 1 r

The car-cam A, the box B, with its attachments and contents, and the gate-hook C, constitute the main, larger and severable divisions of the-device. Of these, the first, or car-cam A, is an ordinary doubly-inclined plane, consisting of a strip or wedge with a non-inclined iniddleportion and rigidly fastened to the outside of the car, preferably near the top; the last, or gate-hook orlatch G, of a goose-head shape, and rigidly fastened to the door or gate in a position corresponding to that of the cam on the car; while the box B, which is the frame work of the lock proper, is rigidly fastened Y box or frame B, consist'of a casting com-- prising a hollow cylindrical or tubular trunk D, arms E and F, the latter terminating in a cam I, and the hook or catch K, all projecting therefrom and being part thereof. This casting is'pivotally mounted, through its trunk, on a stationary shaft or rod, rigidly anchored to and extending from the far wall of the box through the near wall thereof, and terminating inthe 'stop P. 'Pivotally mounted at the extremities of the arms E and F, is the rod or shaft R, having' rigidly fastened thereto, at or near the middle point, and between the arms E and F, the slotted lever L, and, at its near or next the box, and a roller pivotally mounted between jaws at its free end. Backof this casting, and parallel with the front wall of the box and attached at one end to the floor thereof by means of a hinge joint,

is a strap V, with a cam-pin or catch N at p the other end projecting at right angles therefrom and passing loosely through a hole in the front wall, so as to engage the cam-lever M Where it is held in position by a spring S which permits it to be tilted back on engaging said lever, when same is drawn into horizontal position.

Rigidly mounted within the upper part of the box or frame, is'a coil or helix ofinsulated wire Z, loosely surrounding the upper end ofaj movable soft iron core, piston, or plunger X, while the other end is pivotally connected, through its slot, with the lever L, the pivot extending backward and terminating in a metal ferrule U, insulated therefrom, for opening and closing a switch Y, mounted on the back wall of the box. Near this switch Y, and parallel therewithand also mounted on the back wall of the box, is the switch W, open only when the car is at that landing and the device is unlocked.

Referring to Fig. 7 Sheet two, Q are switches inseries with'switches W andY, and mounted, as are the locks, on the doorjambs, or wall of the hatchway adjacent to the doors, so that they will be closed by cams on the doors when the latter are closed,

and. open when they are opened. H are the .hallway push-buttons and switches, O is the box, frame or casing in the car mounting the car push-buttons for the various floors, and also the notch-held hall-button cut-out switch, J, pivoted at the points 9' and 70,- while G is the emergency switch and push-button in the car for breaking the circuitand stopping the car at any necessary mounted in a frame, a, and which, via re-.

duction cog-wheels, 0, mechanically communicates and cooperates with the car, drum or drive-sheave, so as to cause said shaft,

with the said wheels mounted thereon, to make one and only one complete turn pending the passage of the car from end to end of the hatchway, it" being observed that there is but a single such wheel at each end i of the device, with an appropriate gap, as

shown between the dotted lines, to break the circuit andv stop the car upon the latters arrival at the corresponding extreme landing, and as many pairs of wheels as there are intermediate landings, the lengths of the part-rims being proportional to the distances of said intermedlate landings respectlvely from the extreme landings, and having appropriate gaps between them to break the circuit and stop the car upon its arrival at said intermediate landings respectively.-

On the inner side of these wheels, and, in

case of the pairs, between them, and closely adjacent to their said rims, or part-rims, are the solenoids, e, mounted on shelves, a,

supported by standards, f, while pivotally;

mounted in the upper ends of their cores are the tilting armatures, m, terminatmg 1n the fingers, t, which communlcate and cooperate with the switches, i, mounted hinge? fashion on the pivots, p, 1%, and p the onerat the second floor, a magnetic field will be created or induced thereabout embracing the adjacent part-rim, (Z, magnetizing it, and drawing the near end of the armature, m, down upon it, thus tilting the finger, t, over against the switch, 2', and closing it; and that this position of these parts will be maintained until the contact between said rim and armature is broken by the passing of said rim from thereunder at its end, m, byreason of the rotation'of said system of wheels. It. will be observed further that a corresponding thing would have happened had a contact been esta lished between any other of the rims, or part-rims, and its corresponding armature.

To understand the operation of this invention, assume an automatic elevator serving'several floors, say four, as in the illustrations, with a door locked or capable of being locked by a unit of this device at each of them; that the car is at one of the upper floors, say the third, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9; and that it s deslred by someone on second floor, as is also shown in Figs. 7 and9. Y

The door at the third floor being unlocked, as shown inFig, 5, and at that floor in Fig. 7, it is possible to open it and enter the car. Thisdone, the passenger or operator closes the door, being careful to do so completely, so as to close the switch, Q, at that floor, and also enable the hooks, K and C, to engage each other when the cam-lever, M, is released by the departure of the car. He then presses the push-button corresponding to the second floor (the act illustrated in Figs. 7 and 9 as being in process of performance), and this, by means of its extreme inner end, engages the apron of the pivoted switch,J, normally closed when the car is not in use, and opens it, thus disconnecting line 9 from line 8, and cutting out all interference from any of the hall but- 'tons and switches, and by means of the switch 2, connects line 12 with line 8. ihis operation establishes a circuit through the second-floor solenoid, .c, from one side of the line via the upper fuse (Fig; 8.), the line 6, the emergency switch G, (Fig. 7 and lines 7,, 8, 12, 10 and 5, through the switches, Q, W and Y at the various'floors and locks (Fig. 7), and thence still via 5 line, thus delivering current to said soleno1d,clos1ng the swltch, 2, at d, and conthat floor to descend via the car to, say the and the lower'fuse to'the other side of the necting line 7 with line 2, and also, via the pivot, p, with line 12.

As the pressure on the push-button is designed to be, and usually is but momentary (though it would do no harm, and make no practical difference, should it continue throughout the trip), part of this circuit is but temporary, line 12, from said push-button to its first division point, z, and line 8, as well as line 7 from the motor control (Fig. 8) to the point, as, being dead, or superfluous for the balance of the'trip, for which the circuit is electro-magnetically maintained, and will continue to be, by said solenoid, until, by rotation upward of the part-wheels of the floor control, the end, a, of the part-rim, (Z, slides from under its armature, m, the circuit now being the upper fuse, 6, 7, 2', 9, 12, 10, 5 as above, andthe lower fuse.

Meantime, by reason of the closing of the switch, 2', at cl, current will also be flowing to the down magnet? of the motor control, (Fig. 8), the circuit being the upper fuse, line 6, the emergency switch G, line 7, the switchz', line 2, a low-limit switch, normally closed, the down magnet, line 4:, the other low-limit switch, 10 to the point 5 through the switches Q, W and Y at the various floors and locks and the lower fuse. The down magnet being energized, contacts will be produced at the points, D, D, and D, (Fig. 8), connecting the line with the stator of the motor, and also, at the lower points, D" and D, via the lower points, U and U, (Fig. 8), with lines 15 and 16 and the brake, releasing the latter, and setting the motor in motion, and maintaining them so pending the trip, or until the circuit is broken at d by the sliding of the end m from under its armature, m, (Fig. 9).

Meanwhile, moreover, current will also be flowing to the coil orlock magnet Z, at

the second floor, the circuit being the upper fuse, line 6, the emergency switch G, line 7, switch 2', pivot line 12 via ethrough the coil, Z, at the second floor, line 5 through the switches, Q,NV and Y, at the various floors and locks, and the lower fuse. t

It will be observed that this current will energize said lock magnet, drawing its core, piston or plunger X, up into it, and, by means of the slotted lever, L, and the shaft, R, lifting the cam-lever, M, into horizontal position, where it is held by means of the catch pin, N, sprung into the cam slot, T, by the spring, S; and at the same time, by

-means of the ferrule, U, closing the switch,

Y, as shown in Figs. 4: and 7, while the car proceeds on its way from the third to the second floor.

As the car approaches the second floor and its floor is within approximately half the length of the car cam, A, of flush there engaging the hooks, K and C, and by meansof the same operation, openingthe switch, W, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7 whereupon the car will stop, floors flush, though not by reason of the opening. of the switclnfvV,

for the switch, Y, in multiple therewith, is

closed, butby reason of the circuits having beenbroken at the'end, m, of (Z, of the floor control, Fig. 9.

Meantime, it will have been observed further that, as the car moved away from the third floor, the cam, A, disengaged the cam-lever, M, at that floor, and, there being no longer any current through the coil, Z,

of the lock magnet at that floor, said camlever gently slid off the catch-pin, N, via

the openendof its V-shaped slot, T, thus causing the hooks, K and C, at that-floor,

to engage each other, locking the door, and

at the same time allowing the switch, W, at that floor to close.

The car having arrived at the second floor, and its door'being unlocked, as above described, it will be possible to open the door, which being done, opens the second floor switch, Q; and so long as this door and switch remain open, it will be impossible, from any of the push-buttons, either in the car or in any of thehalls, to get current to start the motor, or move the car away from this landing.

When, however, the door completely closed again, from either within or without the car, thus again closing said switch, Q, current can again be procured and the car moved by pressing any one of the hall or car floor buttons, except those correspond ing to the second floor, where the car is. But the car will not move more than approximately halfthe length of the noninclined portion of the car-cam, A, unless the hooks, K and. C, are completely engaged, and the door firmly locked. For if, by

reason of any disorder, when the cam, A, .inmoving up or down, releases the camlever, hi, and the latter drops into quiescentv position, thus opening the switch, Y, the casting, D, with its extensions, should not tilt back quite far enough to securely engage the'hooks, IQ and C, the cam, I, will not allow the switch, W, to close, and there will again be no current to move the car until the disorder has been remedied.

This last, it will be further observed, is a measure of safety, and intended to provide against the contingency of the devices being out of order, or otherwise failing to operate. But to guard as much as possible against the occurrence of such a contingency, a spring of suitable strength is mounted under the hook, K, to coiiper'ate with it, and I impel it into secure engagement with the hook, C.

From a further examination of the drawings, and particularly of the wiring (Figs.

'7 and-8) it will be observed generally that,

had the car been at any other landing, or had it been desiredto go, or to call the car to any other floor, thebehavior of the device Would have been correspondingly the same, the only difference being in parts of the circuits. Had it been desired, for example, to go to the first floor instead of the second, line 11 would have been called into play instead of line 12. Or had it been clesired. to goto'the fourth floor, line 14 would have been utilized instead of 12, and lines 1 and 3, instead of 2 and 4 respectively. And had it been desired to call the car to any other floor from the hallway push-buttons, line 9 would have been called into action instead of those parts of lines 11, 12

or 1 L between the car buttons and their nearest division points, 2 and 6 respectively. And so of line 13, had the car been at any other floor than the third.

It is, of course, possible to resort to modifications and variations in the construction of this device, but in so far as they do or shall not materially or substantially depart from the scope, spirit and principle of this invention, they arehereby expressly included therein.

1 Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A look for elevator hatchway doors- 2. A control lock for elevator hatchway doors comprising a latch on the door, a

catch in the casing to engage the latch when the door is closed, a cam-lever for disengaging the catch normally resting in an inoperative position, an electro magnet to shift the cam-lever to operative position, a catch-pin to engage and hold the cam-lever 1n opera- Goptes at this patent may be obtained. for

' the cam on the car.

tive position, a cam on the car to operate the V cam-lever, aswitch arranged to be closed when the cam-lever is shifted to operative position, and a second switch arranged to be opened when the cam-lever is operated by.

the cam on the car. I I

3. A control lock for elevator hatchway doors comprising a latch on thedoor, a cats ing on the door-321mb, a pivoted catch in the casing adapted to engage the latch whenthe door 1s closed, a pivoted cam-lever on the casing for disengaging the catch and norvmally resting in an inoperative position, a

position, a cam on the car to operate the cam-lever, a control-switch arranged to be closed when the cam-lever is shifted to operative position, and a second control. switch arranged to be opened when the camlever is operated by the cam on the car.

l. An automatic control lock for hatchway doors of automatic elevators of the pushbutton-cont'rol type, comprising a rigid latch onthe door, a casing rigidly mounted on the door-jamb, a spring-actuated pivoted catch in the casing adapted to engage the latch when the door is closed, a pivoted cant lever outside the casing for releasing the catch, same being provided with a slot and normally standing in an inoperative posi tion, a push-button-controlled electro-magnet in the casing adapted to shift the cam-lever to operative position, a spring-stressed catchpin through the wall of the casing adapted to cooperate with the slot to engage and hold the cam-lever in operative position, a rigid cam on the car adapted to operate the cam-lever, a control switch in the. casing arranged to be closed when the electro-magnet is energized and the cam-lever is shifted to operative position, and a second control switch also in the casing and in multiple with said former switch and arranged to be opened when the cam-lever is operated by CLARENCE W. WHEELER.

Witnesses D. E, BOMBAUGH, ADA Wnsr AIKEN.

five cents each,by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. 'Washington, D. G. 

